His Perspectives

Sickness and Health

Robert Pope, Red Rose on Stem

Sickness, I believe, carries with it thoughts of possibilities being closed off, of senses being shut down, of feelings of reluctance in engaging with the world. Health, in contrast, involves an expansion of possibilities, and an opening-up cycle that might be likened to a blossom unfolding in the warmth of the sun.

– Robert Pope

Facing Death

Robert Pope, White Rose

Living in the shadow of cancer makes every day action an affirmation of life. I see the importance of accepting death in a non-fearful way and the importance of finding joy in life. For the present I continue to live in a complex world with an uncertain future, the same as everyone else.

– Robert Pope

Gratitude

Robert Pope, Rose Flower

There were certain points in my illness when I was in a lot of pain and I can remember thinking at times that if only I could live without pain that would be wonderful. But then, if you just start to look at all the things in life there are to enjoy, just to be able to breathe air or to enjoy food or to enjoy the company of friends or the people that you love, the possibilities just multiply. There is so much richness in the world to enjoy. A feeling of rebirth, a sense of the almost overabundance of good things, is the feeling that comes to me.

"Art is powerful preventive medicine. Looking at a picture is like walking through an endless series of doors, with each succeeding door leading us deeper and deeper into a rich experience. This journey stimulates our minds, our emotions, our souls; it makes us more alive. Ultimately the esthetic experience heals us and makes us whole."- Robert Pope, Illness and Healing, Images of Cancer, 1991.